Seperated
by Jedi Princess Clarrisani
Summary: Nick never imagined one case could take away everything. Written for the ‘Last Kiss’ challenge which can be found at my LiveJournal


**Title:** Separated  
**Author:** Jedi Princess Clarrisani  
**Beta:** Stalker of Shadows  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairing(s):** Nick/Greg, Grissom/Sara  
**Warnings:** N/A  
**Spoilers:** N/A**  
Summary:** Nick never imagined one case could take away everything. Written for the 'Last Kiss' challenge which can be found at my LiveJournal**  
Disclaimer:** I do not own, otherwise the explanation for Nick and Greg not being in much of season 6 would be explained with a shot of them sneaking into the supply room. Or a 'Titanic' style handprint on one of the back windows of Nick's Tahoe at the least

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He'd always known that this day would come. The day when everything he had come to know and love would be ripped to shreds. And now here he was, standing in the McCarren International Airport, forced to leave his life behind. Forced to leave _everything_ behind.

Nick Stokes sighed, smiling faintly as he felt a hand in his. Looking down, he winked at Cassie, the girl smiling back at him. The adoption had only gone through less than six months ago, back when everything had been going right and he had finally decided that it was time to settle in and start a family. He had never expected things to be torn apart.

It had seemed like an everyday case – a dead teen at UNLV, found on the middle of the football field. He and Warrick had been assigned to the case, but things had become messy when the case turned out to be high profile – a multi-millionaire's son. Grissom, Sara, Catherine and Greg had all ended up shifting to help with the case, but in the end, despite all the false leads, Grissom had closed the case as a suicide – deliberate drug overdose.

The boy's daddy had not been pleased, accusing the lab of trying to destroy his son's reputation. He had ordered a private investigation from a group of hand picked investigators from around the country. When the media had gotten hold of the story it had taken a turn for the worse, and when both Ecklie and Grissom had stated 'suicide' and that the new investigators were probably being paid to 'fix the evidence'…

Nick set his jaw, forcing back the lingering emotional pain as he remembered the day when the ashen-faced Ecklie had practically stumbled into the break-room to tell them their jobs were no more. The multi-millionaire had pulled strings in all the right places, leading to the removal of every member of Graveyard CSI plus Ecklie from Las Vegas.

But the bastard hadn't ended it there. Accusing them of co-conspiracy, the man had fixed things so that the CSI's would be transferred to the lab of their choosing, although they would be under strict orders not to contact one another. And don't worry, they would be monitored.

So here they were, abruptly torn from their lives, waiting for their planes. Nick swallowed hard, eyes moving over the group, knowing he would be seeing them for the last time. His other family, his best friends… it was so unfair.

He looked over them, noticing the pain on their faces. Catherine and Warrick stood together, talking softly, their sexual tension to be forever unresolved. Catherine was going to Reno – she had family and friends there, and had been offered the job as supervisor of their Graveyard shift. Warrick stood with Tina, neither looking happy as they prepared to jet off to Miami – Horatio Caine had offered Warrick a place on his team when he had found out what was happening and knowing that Warrick had nowhere to go.

Nick's eyes moved to Grissom and Sara, Sara fighting the tears where she was wrapped in Grissom's arms, the older man making soft yet awkward soothing noises. Sara was going home to San Francisco, returning to her old job she had left to come to Las Vegas. Grissom was going home to Marina Del Rey, choosing this unfortunate turn of events as his time to retire. He would become a full time lecturer at the many conferences held for criminologists, although no two members of the team could be at the conferences.

Nick chewed his lower lip, knowing that, after all that time they spent circling before finally getting together, Grissom and Sara were being forced apart. Only last month, before this whole fiasco had started, Grissom had asked Sara to marry him and she had said yes. The team had celebrated in style, throwing around ideas for a wedding that would now never take place.

Ecklie was already gone, his plane having left little more than an hour ago. He had transferred to Seattle – it was the only place with an opening that suited him. Nick had thought he would be glad to see the day Conrad Ecklie walked out of his life – it hadn't been the case. He was actually going to miss that arrogant, arse-kissing prick.

Nick himself was going home to Dallas. Bill Stokes had pulled strings so that Nick would have a job to go home to – partly as a CSI for the Dallas night crew, but also as an assistant to Jillian Stokes who often needed someone to help her put the forensic evidence together on her cases.

And everything was set for when he got there. Nick smiled faintly. His parents were probably still making the final preparations to Cassie's room, both eager to meet their new granddaughter. Last time he had spoken to them they had already enrolled her into school. Everything was set.

Everything, except…

Nick swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing himself to hold the gaze of the man coming toward him. Greg didn't look well. To be honest, none of them did, but Greg looked the worst. Nick remembered how Greg had ducked into the men's room when the news had first broken, and ever since Greg had been having difficulties keeping his food down. Nick was the same.

Greg had been offered a place in Los Angeles, meaning that he could be close to his family who he was most likely going to need over the next few years. Greg was moving back in with his parents for the time being, until he could adjust to the drastic changes and give him a chance to settle before summer and Cassie's visit.

Nick and Greg had pulled a lot of strings to work things out, but with the help of Bill Stokes they had managed it. The documentation ruled it 'dual custody', with 'one parent raising the child', while the other parent was 'entitled to visits during set periods'. In this case, it was the summer so Cassie could experience the perfect Californian weather while not missing out on school. It was breaking the rules of that bastard's orders, but they had managed it so long as Nick and Greg didn't see each other.

Nick winced, finally tearing his eyes away as Greg wandered over to say his goodbyes to the others. Six years they had been together, him and Greg. Six _years_. A year ago they had gone through a union ceremony, finally buying a place to live in together and agreeing to stop skirting the issue and adopt Cassie. And now, all of their hopes and dreams were being tossed aside.

There should be a law against it, and once he got to Dallas, Nick was going to seek that law out.

Nick closed his eyes as he heard the call for the flight to Los Angeles. He wanted to just grab Greg and Cassie and make a run for it, but that prick millionaire had sent his private guard to make sure they boarded their perspective flights. Nick forced himself to open his eyes as Cassie let go of his hand, and Nick watched as she moved to hug Greg.

"I don't want you to go," he heard her say, her voice filled with tears. "It's not fair. It's not fair!"

"I know. And we'll fix things. You wait." Greg kissed her, brushing aside her tears and smiling faintly. "I'll see you in the summer, Princess. And you'll get to meet Grandma and Grandpa Sanders, eh? And your Uncle and Aunts. And not to mention get to terrorise your cousins."

Cassie nodded, then shook her head. "I already lost a family once. Why am I losing it again? Is it me?"

"No. It's the world." Greg scowled. "It's full of bad people."

"Can't you catch them?"

"Give me time." Greg hugged her again. "You take care of Nick for me, okay?"

"Okay."

Cassie reluctantly let go, Greg straightening to look at Nick. Nick stood there, watching him, fighting back the tears as the lump in his throat began to throb. And then they were in each other's arms, Nick no longer able to hold back the tears as he clung to his lover, his partner, his husband, knowing he may never hold him again and wanting this moment to last forever.

"I love you," he whispered as he felt his tears stain Greg's shirt, feeling Greg nod into his shoulder.

"I love you too, Nicky." Greg pulled back slightly, gripping Nick's forearms, his eyes dry although Nick could see the tears threatening to spill. His voice cracked as he spoke, although Greg didn't seem to care. "You stay strong, okay?"

"You too, G."

They looked up as they heard the second call for Los Angeles, Greg reaching up and catching Nick's face in his hands and drawing their lips together in a hard, desperate kiss. Nick forced himself to memorise everything: the way Greg's hands moved gently through his hair, that faint coffee taste mixed with the salt of Nick's tears, the feel of that warm, perfect body against his. Nick wanted to remember every detail so that it would never fade from his mind.

Cassie was right – it wasn't fair. What had they done to deserve this? Why had they survived so many trials – stalkers, explosions, burials – only to be torn from one another by some stupid heartless bastard who couldn't accept the fact he had driven his own son to suicide?

It was Greg who pulled away, ever so reluctantly. The younger let out a shuddering breath, offering Nick a weak smile as he picked up his bag. Nick's hands clenched into fists at his sides as he heard the final call to Los Angeles, Nick forcing himself to relax long enough to trail his fingertips along the path of a lone tear stole down Greg's cheek.

"I'll find a loophole, G. There's gotta be one and I'll find it, I swear."

"And if you don't, I will." Greg set his jaw, visibly forcing himself not to break down. "This is just a minor setback. We'll be back together before you know it."

"We sure will."

Greg reached up, catching Nick's hand and kissing the palm before he stepped away. He hesitated as Nick grabbed his wrist, the two locking gazes once more, reading each other's emotions and fighting the urge to comfort one another, knowing that if Greg didn't take this flight he would be arrested, and neither wanted that.

Reluctantly Nick let go of Greg's hand, Greg waving goodbye to the others before stepping away and heading for his gate, twisting to look back over his shoulder toward Nick who could now see the tears running freely down Greg's face. Nick choked back a sob at the pain he could see on Greg's face, Nick forcing back the thoughts of murdering the cause of that pain.

Feeling that soft touch once more, Nick closed his fingers around Cassie's, watching as, with one last fleeting look, Greg vanished into the crowd.

Life wasn't fair at all.

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END


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